It’s been a really good year, and one of the busiest for us on record. We recorded an album (more on that later!), attended a handful of conferences in Canada and the United States, did our first American tour, met a ton of amazing people and started making plans for next year. On a more personal front: Graydon has been writing a new book, Laura has been learning the piano, Alex opened a bakery/cafe (Bloomer’s on Bloor near Ossington, it’s amazing — just go!) with his partner Kelly, Shawn went to school to teach Montessori, John went back to Grad…    read more.

We’re back from a lovely time in the US; the fall colors were extraordinary and the shows were really lovely. Thank you to everyone who came out, hosted or helped to set a show up, put a roof over our head, or spread the word. We so appreciate all the support! We’re staying local for the next little while, playing a November residency at the The Cameron House, every Monday from 8-10pm. The facebook event is here, any help spreading the word would be appreciated! We’ll also be attending the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) conference in Kerhonkson, NY. We’ll be…    read more.

We’re heading south to the land of unsweetened iced tea! It will be our first time touring in the US, and we could not be more jazzed about playing for new folks & old friends, seeing cities we’ve never seen before (hello, Aldie VA!), and celebrating our anniversary on the road like a good touring musician couple should. If you’re in the States or know cool people down south who love folk music and harmonies (and high-fives) please direct them to our SHOWS page. Below is our “American Roadtrip” poster that’ll give you a quick synopsis of the tour. For…    read more.

We’re heading into the studio, after months of writing and arranging some new songs.  We’re pretty excited about working with Carlin Nicholson and Mike O’Brien from Zeus — they are exceptional musicians in their own right and also producing some kick-ass indie bands, so we will be somewhat out of the limelight this summer as we spend time sweating it out in isolation booths in a studio or two here in Toronto.  We are playing some shows though, including some Toronto shows with dear friends Union Duke and Red Moon Road, so keep reading to find out when we’ll be…    read more.

When warm weather whisks wintery wildness away, I obviously get alliterative. The winter did lead to some wonderful house concerts, including one in Elmira (north of Waterloo) that led to this video of me & Laura performing “Jackson” (the Johnny Cash/June Carter version). To all the amazing folks at, and hosts of, the house concerts we played: thank you! Your support is what keeps us going. But also: we’re shaving our wooly coats and heading out into the sunshine to go on tour in April! And we’re very excited to get out and play some shows for our amigos in…    read more.

For some reason every time winter rolls around I imagine watching an episode of “Hinterland Who’s Who” and hearing about the Canadian Musician — a nocturnal beast that largely spends its time in dank, cave-like areas making all sorts of yowling noises and hibernates in the winter months, storing up songs and recordings for the spring when it will leave its home for an extended period to roam the countryside visiting the pubs, clubs, and homes of the fair and beauteous Canadian Music Lover. Well that’s what is going on right now, folks! Although we have braved the elements a…    read more.

The holidays are upon us! In between the eggnog and mulled cider, Laura & I went on a tour with our east coast amigo Gabrielle Papillon, and in the midst of it recorded a version of “Silent Night” at Hunters Bay Radio in Huntsville. Listen to or download the song (all proceeds go to a great charity raising money to send girls to school in Tanzania!) and share it by an open fire while playing board games with friends and family. Also, until January 4th, if you buy a CD from The Young Novelists Store you can enter the promo…    read more.

We’ve been lying low a bit for September and October, enjoying the autumnal goodness, apple cider, and occasional leaf-kicking adventure. Now it’s time to hit the road again and play some more music for wonderful folks, this time we’ll be doing a mix of duo and full band shows with a fellow folkie and great friend of ours: Gabrielle Papillon! We are very excited to be touring with Gabrielle in November, she’s a phenomenal singer-songwriter: multi-talented and award-winning to boot. So take a look at our tour schedule (handily posted below!) and if you can’t come to a show then…    read more.

Graydon James & The Young Novelists – For The Record from Wood & Wires. Video recorded at Campbell House in downtown Toronto on April 14th, 2013 by Adrian Vieni. Sound engineered by Laura Titchner & Shawn Jurek. Mixed/Mastered by Shawn Jurek (www.shawnjurekmastering.com). Downloadable single available below! (…and at The Young Novelists Store!) Stream & download, share with friends, and enjoy on your mobile device. Additional recording on audio download version done at Typewriter Studio (www.typewriterstudio.com).

Touring is amazing, but we are glad to be home and ready to have a love affair with autumn. We enjoyed some old-fashioned east coast hospitality on our tour, and we’d like to say a big thank you to all the folks who shared a floor, a meal, a stage, or a sing-along with us along the way! Going on tour is like an extended marathon of good times, and it was fantastic to be able to share those times with such great people. Double kudos go out to our drummer Mike, his wife Eileen, and their 4-month-old daughter Broghan…    read more.